Quiet ambition is a globalcorporate trend inwhich professionals are rejecting leadership positions and redefining the meaning of ambition. All in the name of physical and mental health and life balance, says Forbes. This phenomenon could threaten succession in companies, since being a manager or holding a senior position in the company is no longer something that this audience (generation Z) wants.
This change is causing the corporate ladder to crumble, according to a Visier study from August 2023, which shows that employees are shunning leadership positions in favor of free time.
But what does this change in priorities mean for employees? Is there really a lack of ambition? Is corporate scale under threat?
According to a Visier study that surveyed 1,000 full-time employees in the US, business leaders may have a succession problem on their hands: company employees generally don’t want to manage people, and only 38% of employees are interested in doing so in their current organization. The remaining 62% prefer to remain individual taxpayers. Similarly, only 36% of employees are interested in managing people in a different organization, indicating that it is not the organization that makes the difference, but the perspective of the job and the responsibilities associated with it.
Some of the reasons that prevent employees from aspiring to a higher career, according to a study by Visier:
– Expected increase in stress and pressure: 40%
– Prospect of working more hours: 39%
– Feels happy in their current job and doesn’t want to change: 37%
– Lack of interest in leadership responsibilities: 30%
– Personal commitments or interests outside work that you prioritize: 28%
While in the past achieving a senior position may have been a goal, nowadays it’s not a priority. Employees’ ambitions lie outside the workplace.
When asked how motivated they are to succeed in their current organization, 63% of respondents say: “I care about performing well, but I won’t compromise on work-life balance”.
If most employees aren’t interested in managing people, promotions or higher management positions, what do they want?
67% of respondents want to spend time with family and friends, 64% want to be physically/mentally healthy, 58% want to travel and 54% aim to get a raise.
To retain talent, a good salary is important. But that’s not all!
Companies should too:
– Offer other attractive benefits;
– Create a positive working environment;
– Offer recognition and have good communication;
– Invest in employee training;
– Be flexible and offer the possibility of remote work.
Based on these new trends in ambition at work, a horizon of possibilities is opening up for those who want to reach high positions.